The Flume (Franconia Notch) Climbing

"From interstate 93 northbound, take exit 34A (inside Franconia Notch) onto route 3 northbound. In less than half a mile you'll see the huge sign and parking lot for the Flume Gorge Visitor Center. Park here. Watch out for snowmobiles in the parking lot.

Make your way around the visitors' center (there should be at least one herdpath, just watch out for possible thin ice on the trout basins by the entrance). From behind the visitors' center a road and trail make their way northerly and downhill to a red covered bridge. Cross the bridge and continue following the road and trail uphill to a white building, which in summer is the terminus of a shuttle bus. Follow the very obvious trail past the white building and alongside the stream. (Ignore some side trails for now. One of them is the return leg of the trail, which runs along the top of the north side of the Gorge. Another leads away to the Pool, which is worth a visit but not the subject of this page.) Stay on the trail until the boardwalk abruptly ends at the west end of the Gorge. Revel in the glow of flashbulbs (no kidding - even in winter there will be car-tourists) as you ignore the "stop" sign and lower yourself a couple of feet onto the frozen stream. Walk through the gorge until you find a climb that's not already occupied." summitpost.org/the-flume-go…